Thill-coupling.



No. 641,964. Patented Jan. 23, I900.

N HUBNING THILL COUPLING.

(Appl c n -11 (Jun 10 1899) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

("0 Mo L) Maxim WITNESSES:

J WM

Patanted Jan. 23, I900.

N. MORNING. THILL COUPLING.

liration filed June 10, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

(No Model.)

ig 7Z0 7 w 1 NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NATHAN I-IORNING, OF JOHNSTOWN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF THREE- FOURTHS TOCHARLES E. KNOX, OF SAME PLACE.

THILL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 641,964., dated January23, 1900.

A li ti fil d June 10, 1899. Serial No. 720,115. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NATHAN HORNING, a citizen of the United States,residing at Johnstown, in the county of Fulton and State of New York,have invented certain new and usef ul Improvements in Thill-Oouplings,ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the class of thillcouplings wherein theretainer of the keeper is displaced laterally for opening the keeper, asshown in my pending application; and the object is to provide a simpleand effective coupling wherein the keeper is mounted on the shaft orthill of the vehicle and the springretainer swings about a pivotal axiswhich is upright and at right angles and is at the same time displacedfor clearance along said axis.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate two slightly-differentembodiments of the invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing thetwo elements coupled for use, and Fig. 2 is a similar View showing thetwo elements uncoupled or detached. Fig. 3 is a plan of the coupling asseen in Fig. 1, the retainer being represented in dotted lines asdisplaced. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are fragmentary detail views illustratingthe camway and stud at the pivotal axis of the retainer. Figs. 7 to 11illustrate a slightly-different construction, Fig. 7 being a sideelevation similar to Fig. 1, Fig. 8 a side elevation similar to Fig. 2,and Fig. 9 a plan similar to Fig. 3. Figs. 10 and 11 are detached detailviews.

Referring, primarily, to Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, X represents thevehicle-axle; Y, the clip thereon, provided with a suitable eye bar orbolt y, and Z is the thill or shaft. As herein shown, the bolt y has onit a sleeve 1 of rawhide or the like, to take the wear and preventrattling. The above features are well known and may be substituted byother well-known equivalent devices.

1 is the shank of the keeper. It replaces herein the ordinary thill-ironand is provided at its free extremity with a downwardlyturned hook 2 totake over and engage the bar y. The retainer 3 has a head 3 and a spring4, and it is mounted pivotally on a stud 5, set fixedly in the shank 1and projecting downwardly therefrom at right angles to the lower face ofthe shank, to which the retainer 3 applies itself. The spring 4 is bentinto a U shape, one end being rigidly secured to or connected with theouter end of the retainer and the other and lower end thereof journaledon a screw or stud 6, set in the lower outer end of the stud 5. In thestud 5 are formed oblique camways or grooves 7, (seen best in FigsJl and5,) and in the aperture or bearing (8 in Fig. 6) in the retainer is astud or short projection 9, which engages said camways 7, whereby whenthe retainer is turned around to the position seen in Fig. 2 and indotted lines in Fig. 3 the retainer is forced down or displaced alongthe axis of the stud 5. This efiects a clearance of the head 3 so thatit may move away laterally without contact with the other parts. It isnot essential to the invention that there shall be two oblique camways7, one at each side of the stud 5, as one would serve; but the twopermit the retainer 3-to be turned in either direction at will.

The construction illustrated in Figs. 7 to 11, so far as it differs fromthat shown in the gage or fit into cam-recesses 7 in the under side ofthe shank 1, as clearly shown in the several views. Fig. 7 shows theparts 7 and 9 in dotted lines. In Fig. 8 the shank 1 and retainer 3 arebroken away to disclose the features. Fig. 10 is an under side view ofthe shank, showing the cam recesses or ways, and Fig. 11 is an upperside view or plan of the retainer, showing the studs 9*. By turning theretainer 3 a quarter-way around in either direction (to the positionseen in dotted lines in Fig. 9) the studs 9' will ride out of theirrespective recesses 7", and thus depress the retainer, the spring 4being put under tension by this movement.

The invention is not restricted to the exact construction herein shown,as this may be varied in some respects without departing materially fromthe invention. As herein shown, it is especially well adapted forsleighs, but may be used with any vehicle.

In the case of one-horse sleighs it is sometimes desirable that thehorse shall travel in the beaten track or about in line with one of therunners, and this is ordinarily efiected by coupling a cross-bar to thesleigh and then coupling the t-hills to this cross-bar, and it will benoted, of course, that my coupling may be used in connection with such across-bar. In fact, it is adapted for any kind of pole or thillcoupling.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a thill-coupling, thecombination of a keeper, comprising a shank secured to the thill, and adownwardly-turned hook to take over the eyebar of the vehicle, of alaterallydisplaceable sprin gretainer,pivotally mounted on ajournalprojecting downwardly from said shank and having a head at itsfree end which embracesthe under side of said eyebar, and a cam deviceat the pivot of the retainer,which device displaces the latterdownwardly when the retainer is turned about its pivot, substantially asset forth.

2. In a thill-coupling, the'combination with an eye bar or bolt on thevehicle, of the shank 1, secured to the thill and having at its free enda downwardly-turned hook 2 to engage said bar, and the journal-studfixed in the lower face of said shank and projecting downward therefrom,of the retainer 3, pivotally journaled on said stud, said retainerhaving a spring 4 at one end, and a head 3 at its other end which closesthe keeper, and a cam device which depresses the retainer when theretainer 3, journaled on said stud and havinga head 3 to close thekeeper, and a stud 9 to engage said cam-groove, and the bent spring 4,fixed at one end to the retainer and pivoted at the other end on thestud 5, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I havehereunto signed my name, this 8th day of June,1899, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

NATHAN IIORNING.

lVitnesses:

WILLIAM HORNING, BORDEN I). SMITH.

